Box Score

     JACKSON, Tenn. - Texas Wesleyan gave #1-seeded Freed-Hardeman its money's worth before falling 73-64, to the #5 team in the nation, Thursday evening in the first round of the NAIA National Championship at Oman Arena.

     Texas Wesleyan (23-11) took a 61-60 lead on a running layup by senior LaRhonda Hunter with 4:05 left in the contest. After that, Wesleyan couldn't buy a bucket, hitting on only 1-of-6 shots in the final three minutes and committing two turnovers along the way.

     Freed-Hardeman (29-6) took control, hitting to treys down the stretch and made 5-of-6 free-throws in the clutch.

     In the first half, the Lady Rams jumped out to an early 13-11 lead at the 14:01 mark of the first half. Senior Kashae Townsend led the charge with six points during the stretch and sophomore Nastassia Brown added a key three-point play.

     The Lady Lions fought back, using a mini 4-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 15-13 lead with 11:31 remaining in the first half. Ashlee Robertson scored all of the Lady Lions' points during the run.

     The Lady Rams then went to work, outscoring Freed-Hardeman, 21-9 over the next seven minutes to take a 34-24 lead with 4:24 left in the first frame. Townsend again led the way with seven points, including a trey from the top of the key.

     The Lady Lions closed the gap at halftime, finishing the period on a 10-0 run with the help of large following by their fans. Robertson was also huge down the stretch, scoring

     Freed-Hardeman's Robertson led all scorers with 29 points and pulled down five rebounds. Stacy Myers chipped in with 15 points and a game-0high 13 rebounds.

     Townsend led the Lady Rams with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Brown tallied 14 points and five rebounds.

     Texas Wesleyan shot 49 percent (27-55) from the floor and 41 percent (7-17) from the charity stripe. The Lady Rams also shot 38 percent (3-8) from the three-point line.

     Freed-Hardeman shot 38 percent (20-53) from the field and 72 percent (26-36) from the free-throw line. The Lady Lions also shot 37 percent (7-19) from behind the arc.

     The Lady Rams end their season at 23-11, which is the third most in school history. Wesleyan also made its first-ever national tournament appearance.